Bonding Stories
by Vix1
Summary: I have a few misc. stories that seem to exist in the same 'verse. A sort of hodgepodge from Season Two and written when I was 15 so take pity. They're in the best order I could make, and they can be read alone or together :. You’ll recognize some and s
1. True Treasures: Max and Maria

Title: True Treasures

Author: Vix To everyone who enjoys Max and Maria's friendship as much as I do.

Disclaimer: Don't sue me-It's really not worth it. (I don't own them)

Author's Note: This is not spoiled in any way. It was just popping around in my head at 1 o'clock in the morning.

Summary: My take on how Max and Maria correspond as friends, and how Michael feels about it.

Feed back: Send off list if you don't mind my lists are screwed up, Thanks. ( .. )

Max sat staring at the blonde as she broke down in front of him yet again. Her absolute trust in him was still amazing to him and he still had trouble grasping the concept.

People of his own kind, his true family didn't even trust him lately, but this blonde pixie was pouring her heart and soul out to him for the millionth time since May 14th. It was a day he wished he could forget, but one he remembered so freshly for it had been forever imprinted in his mind.

"Why can't we be happy? Michael sees what Liz sees, what is it that we don't see?" Maria asked as she buried her face farther down into her hands.

Max moved instinctively to her side on the bed. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. They had done this so much it was now a routine thing. One would break down, and they would both agree and list all the reason why this was unfair. Finally it led to one of them comforting the other till they both fell a sleep.

He leaned back onto the headboard lost in his own thoughts and emotions.

What did they see? He wondered and still he had no answer.

"He's not scared of hurting me, he's not pinning away for Isabel, but he is a solider. A soldier! Michael the rebel with out a clue is soldier boy. Who would have guessed?" Maria cried in vainly.

Max was glad her mother was at a convention and wouldn't be home till morning. He knew it worried her that her daughter stayed so quiet around her, but as soon as he would show up she would rant and rave. Her mother never understood what about or why, but she was glad that her daughter could talk with someone.

His own parents had been so worried they sent him to a psychiatrist. Now that Kyle was back in town he would have a field day with that one.

"You know why Liz walked away, don't you? She cares about you too much. She had to let you go, to let you fulfill your destiny." Maria said, she had been saying the same thing since the first night he had come to her.

He had walked up in the middle of the day; the day Liz boarded the plane to Florida. He had asked if they could talk later, and Maria instantly knew why. She had told him her mother would be gone that weekend -- off to a convention for acupuncture. They had scheduled a time and rented movies. They drowned themselves in self-pity, sympathy, and rocky road.

"Yeah, I know, but what I can't understand is why she thinks I want to fulfill my destiny. I don't care about it anymore. Only thing I want right now is her." Max said it was the same response he had always given.

"She doesn't want you to be with her then discover what you really wanted was your home, your destiny, Tess." Maria said. She had never added Tess' name to the list. It was always understood, but never spoken.

"Michael doesn't want you to get hurt cause of what he is and what he has to do." Max said to avoid the pain that seared through his heart.

"Yeah, does he know that he has hurt me more than anything?" Maria asked. He could now feel her tears soak his tee shirt as she repositioned her head on his well-toned chest.

"Yeah, and believe me it's tearing him up inside." Max and Michael might have been fighting lately, but nothing could change what he knew about Michael Guerrin, what he knew about his friend, his trusted 2nd in command, his brother.

"It's just so obvious." Maria said bitterly.

Max had to crack a small smile; her sarcasm was… typical.

"Like he's known for his obviousness?" Max asked.

"Do you miss it?" Maria asked softly.

"What?" Max wondered

"The way things use to be." Maria said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, but to them it honestly was, but it still caught Max by surprise; they had never ventured here for fear of the answers they would revel.

"Which part?" Max asked.

"The part where you get to love the person you love openly and you don't have to fear that it might indirectly kill them in one way ore another?" Maria said in a rush.

"Yeah, but you have to remember I never really had that. Isabel dated, but me and Michael hid from puberty in my room talking about girls and home. Girls usually took precedence with me. Liz to be more specific, but Michael always wanted to talk about home and how we were going to get there." Max said recalling their conversations from so long ago.

"Can you reach the stereo?" Maria asked softly.

That was his signal. He turned on the stereo and turned it to volume level 8 and track number 10, Colorblind by the Counting Crows. He had brought his CD over here one night and there it had remained. Every night he would turn it on the same song and let it play all night.

Maria hadn't liked 'Amy Hit The Atmosphere' too much, she had said she heard it enough to last her an eternity. Supposedly Liz listened to it when she was sad, she had been listening to it for a long time now, or so claimed Maria.

Maria's breathing had evened out. It was now time to wait. He came every night around the same time.

Max recalled the first time he came. He had been stroking Maria's hair idly while he contemplated fate. Michael had suddenly appeared in the window. Max had almost missed him.

The next day Michael showed up at his house. Isabel was shopping and his parents were at work; they were alone in his room.

"What were you doing there?" Michael had asked violently. Max wasn't the least bit surprised. He would have had the same reaction if the tables had been turned, and he had found Liz sleeping on Michael's chest in her bed.

"Michael, calm down." Max said in a casual tone. Michael was over reacting and he knew he should tell him nothing had happened because, well, nothing had. Instead he let him suffer a little, after what he and Maria had discussed that night he felt as if he owed it to her.

"Calm down? I found you and Maria looking a little too comfortable at one o'clock in the morning, in her bed!" Michael was now pacing quiet quickly.

Max was almost laughing; it was after all quite a comical sight.

"What? You find this funny? I thought you loved Liz!" Michael said, even more furry brewing in his dark eyes.

"I love them both." Max said.

If Michael was thinking levelly he would have known what Max had meant, but it made it a little funnier for Max, because he wasn't thinking clearly. Max doubted he was even thinking at all.

"Both! You can't love them both!" Michael ragged on.

"Michael, cool down," Max said quickly. He knew Michael well; if he pushed him any further there was no doubt in his mind that it would turn physical. "I love Maria like a sister, and I love Liz like a soul mate." Max said.

"Then why were you in her bed?" Michael continued even though a bit of his anger had left.

"We need someone to talk to. We were hurting. We needed a friend. Michael, we didn't do anything. I was just comforting her." Max said looking his long time friend in the eye.

"You swear on our parent's grave?" Michael asked faltering a bit.

"I swear." Max said.

Instantly Michael's uncertainty left, but his questions didn't, "So did her mom beat you with a newspaper too?"

Max let out a small chuckle before answering, "No her mom was at a meeting or something."

Michael shook his head and started walking towards the window.

"Michael," Max called him back "you know why I was there, why were you there?"

"I'm always there." With that Michael disappeared.

It was an answer Max had not expected.

Every night around one in the morning Michael showed up and looked in on them, or her to be more exact. He never failed, ever.

Soon Michael's face appeared at the window and Max lifted his hand off of Maria's back to slightly wave at his confidant.

Michael nodded his head and looked him in the eye. Michael's eyes sent a message loud and clear, it said 'protect her'. With that Michael faded back into the darkness.

Max completely understood. He knew this meant that Michael would be back, every night like always. Only this meant that he wanted Max to protect her when he couldn't. He wanted him to be there for her when she needed a friend or even a saving grace.

Max would be there for her like that, not just out of loyalty to Michael and even Liz, but because Maria trusted him with a child like certainty. She never doubted for a moment that he cared for and trusted her there fore he never doubted her returning the feelings. He trusted her as much as she trusted him.

Max knew this; this was one of the true treasures of life.

The End


	2. Beginnings: Michael and Liz

Title: Beginnings

Author: Vix

Email: PG

Category: Friendship

Summary: Liz finds Max at Maria's and on her way home she runs into Michael.

Spoilers: Max and Maria are friends

Disclaimers: I own nothing.

Author note: This is not as good as True Treasures. If you haven't read it you might want to.

Feed Back: LOTS! ( .. )

Michael brooded as he walked down the dim lit streets of Roswell, New Mexico.

It wasn't fair, he should be the one holding Maria and comforting her. He trusted Max to be there for her like a friend and nothing more, but he still envied him greatly.

Yes, it had been him who broke things off with Maria, but that didn't mean he didn't want her, nor did it mean that he would be any less jealous of any who could get near her. It just meant he was even more jealous, not that he would admit it openly or something crazy like that.

'Oh my god, oh my god,' it was the only phrase that had come to mind when she saw them; it was still imprinted in her mind. Liz had called Maria and there had been no answer. She knew for a fact she would be home tonight and her mom was gone. So she decided to just walk over to her house to talk.

When she got there she could barely believe her own eyes. There in Max's arms was none other than Maria DeLuca.

She couldn't believe her friend would do that to her, nor could she understand why.

Liz was completely lost in her thoughts so when she collided with someone else it made her scream.

'As if crashing into me wasn't enough!' Michael thought as he covered his ears.

Liz looked up and instantly shut her mouth.

"Liz?" Michael asked.

"Michael?" Liz asked uncertainly.

He was absolutely amazed that she could still talk, "yeah."

"How long has it been going on between them?" Liz asked, she couldn't stop from asking him.

"Since you left." Michael said thinking back to the first time he had found Max and Maria curled up on her bed.

"They've been together for that long and no one bothered to tell me?" Liz asked beyond pissed.

"Together?" Michael was honestly confused now.

"I found them sleeping in each others arms on Maria's bed." Liz said as if it explained everything.

"They're not together." Michael said trying to explain, "They're just friends."

"Then why are they sleeping in the same bed at 1:30 in the morning?" Liz said still ragging.

"They both needed a friend so they confided in each other when they need to talk to someone. Nothing has ever happened between them, well not like that." Michael tried again and this time he seemed to reach Liz.

"Oh, why didn't she tell me?" Liz asked confused.

"Neither of them told me." Michael offered.

"Well thanks." Liz said as she started walking home.

"Wait I'll walk you home." Michael said as he caught up with her, after all he owed it to Max. He would take care of Liz and Max would take care of Maria when they couldn't.

"How is he?" Liz asked after walking for a few minutes, while staring at the ground.

Michael looked down at her sympathetically, and then he finally registered that she was expecting an answer. She was asking him this?

This was strange new territory Michael thought as he began to answer her question, "Heartbroken."

"Well I knew that, but I meant how is he dealing with it?" Liz said.

"He took it real hard, and he's not going to recover from it quickly, maybe not at all." Michael said in all honesty. No matter how much he disliked them getting so attached to this place, these people. It had happened anyway to all of them.

"Wonderful." Liz said sadly.

"Why'd you leave him?" Michael asked.

"You first." Liz said as she looked over at the taller boy.

"I had to, you?" Michael said trying to weasel his way out of it.

"Ditto." Liz said in response.

"Being who and what I am will hurt her." Michael said quickly.

"I couldn't live with the thought there was a possibility that he would chose me and later regret not choosing her." Liz said in the same manner.

"He doesn't want her, and he never will." Michael reassured her as they reached the crashdown.

"Maria's a lot tougher than you think. She's not afraid of being hurt." Liz said as she unlocked the door.

'Maybe I am' Michael thought as she turned around.

"You want to come in and get something to drink or eat?" she asked.

"No thanks, I should be getting home anyway. It's late." Michael answered.

She smiled at him; it was her way of saying thank you. He had calmed her down and straightened out a few things for her. It wasn't a lot, but it made a difference to her.

He just nodded and smiled as he turned and disappeared into the darkness.

This was definitely an interesting beginning for a friendship…

The End


	3. Brothers and Sisters: Alex POV

Title: Brothers and Sisters

Author: Vix

Email: Alex POV

Summary: Alex's after thoughts about punching Michael.

Disclaimers: If I owned them Michael wouldn't have missed when he tried to use his powers on Courtney, but obviously I don't own them.

Rating: Pg-13 (language)

Spoilers: Everything up to and End of The World

Authors note: This probably really sucks, I just saw End of The World last night and right after it I started to work on this cause

this was one of my absolute favorite parts.

Feed back: PLEASE!

Family is a strange concept. What makes you family, blood or love? Perhaps both, but I know one thing for certain whether Maria is blood or not doesn't determine how I feel about her.

She's not just a girl, nor is she just a friend. She never was and never will be, at least not to me.

She's my sister. I love her, and I put her before me in all things. I made a promise to myself that I would always be there for her, always.

She doesn't have a dad like Liz to tell her that he'd protect her. She doesn't have the over protective fathers Liz and Isabel have. She has Mr. Parker and me, but I highly doubt Mr. Parker would have punched Michael Guerin in the jaw.

He has at least 30 pounds on me and could kill me with a thought, but I don't regret it, at all. Some probably think I didn't think it through enough cause if I did I wouldn't have done it.

They're wrong. I had thought it through. I had thought about it since the day I found out Michael had hurt Maria the first time. I promised my self then that I would never let him hurt her.

I made exceptions. When he killed Pierce, I let it pass because he was scared, and I could be there for her then. I let him off the hook because he wasn't cheating on her. He was just scared and I knew eventually that the fear would pass and he would probably return to her like always.

When it did pass Courtney showed up. I knew there was tension between Maria and her because of Michael. I thought Michael had no interest in Courtney after all his original reason for leaving Maria was that he had loved her too much.

I guess he didn't love her enough not to cheat on her.

That is where I draw the line. To me it's one thing when you leave cause you're trying to protect the one you love and you're trying to figure everything out for yourself. I can understand that.

But when you cheat on one of my sisters… There is no turning back when that happens, not for me.

I love Maria and Liz with all my heart. I would do anything for them, anything at all. Yes, I knew Michael could have killed me. Yes, I knew it was a possibility I would come out of his apartment not on my own to feet, but by him throwing me, but that didn't really matter. And it probably never will. Not when they're involved.

My hand still hurts like hell. It was so smooth of me to hit his jawbone, really it was, but Maria is well worth the pain. She's worth much, much more to me.

I would die for her in a heartbeat. There's nothing that I wouldn't do for her or Liz for that matter.

He told me I really was a good friend, and I told him if he said that to me again I was really going to kick his ass. If he did say it again I really would have. I might not have succeeded, but I would have tried. I would have tried until he beat me so bad I couldn't move.

I don't care if the next one that hurts her is twelve feet tall and carrying a shotgun. I will go after him any way that I can. There aren't any second thoughts about it.

I remember back in fourth grade, when we meet. She was more violent than I was. She still is most of the time. I never had to protect her really; she did that. Not only for herself but for me as well.

Michael's right, I am a really good friend, but above that I'm a really good brother.

The End


	4. Facts: Alex and Michael

Title: Facts

Author: Vix

E-mail: Strange

Summary: Read it and make one yourself

Disclaimers: I own nothing

Spoilers: Everything up to and including End of the world

Author's note: It was late when I was writing this. I know it sounds to shallow and there's barely anything good in here. But bare with me I'll get better. I hope.

Feed: If you think it's worthy please do, but trust me I won't take any

offense if you don't. I really don't think this is a good fic, but my next one will be. I think.

Michael knocked on the door rapidly.

Alex looked through the glass and pure horror swept through him.

He opened the door slightly. "Yeah?"

"We need to talk." Michael said getting to the point.

"Come in." Alex said opening the door.

"Alone." Michael said not moving.

"My parents aren't here." Alex said suddenly realizing he was alone with a pissed off looking alien.

Michael moved through the door quickly and into the living room.

"Want some thing to drink or something?" Alex asked gesturing towards the kitchen.

"No." Michael said flatly going and sitting on the edge of the sofa.

"Well what do we need to talk about?" Alex asked walking a cross the room and sitting on the recliner.

"I didn't cheat on her." Michael said looking over at him.

"You kissed Courtney and in no doubt were about to have sex with her." Alex said getting angry.

"What makes you think I was going to have sex with her?" Michael asked raising his voice and standing up.

"Maria said that she found you there at Courtney's and that Courtney was in just a towel." Alex said his voice getting almost as deep and loud as Michael's.

"I told here I was a germo-phobic to get her out of the room so I could search her place." Michael said letting his voice lower a few notches.

"You still kissed her!" Alex said his voice getting a little softer too.

"No I just let her kiss me. I didn't even kiss her. If I would have kissed her like I kiss Maria she would have probably turned into little piece of skin like our late congress woman." Michael said sitting back down.

"You could have just waited for a little and then when you were sure she wasn't home you could have gone back and did your G.I.-spy thing." Alex said.

"The reason I did it when and how I did it was cause I knew Maria would be over there soon. She would be snooping and she would be in danger, again. I couldn't let her over there with the chance that Courtney was a skin or government." Michael said looking away.

"And that was the only reason you were over there?" Alex asked still sound skeptical.

"What would you do to keep Isabel safe?" Michael asked looking back over at him.

"Anything." Alex said instantly.

"Would you search some girls house to find out if she could possibly kill you and Isabel and the rest of us?" Michael asked.

"Yeah." Alex said realizing what this was leading to.

"And if that girl kissed you, would you just sit there and act like you're interested long enough to get her out of the room?" Michael asked.

"Then why was she at your apartment?" Alex countered.

"As soon as Maria left so did I. I didn't even know that she knew where I lived, and she was totally uninvited." Michael said unconsciously rubbing his sore jaw.

"I'm sorry about that." Alex said finally believing him.

"I guess we do have something in common." Michael said standing up and moving towards the door.

"Yeah? What's that?" Alex asked following him.

"We'd do anything for them." Michael said as he exited.

Alex walked back towards the living room thinking about that.

He would do anything for Maria, Liz, and Isabel. Maybe he had judged Michael too soon.

Maybe Maria really was in good hands and maybe Michael knew that Maria wasn't just some girl too.

The End


	5. Contemplation: Max and Maria

Title: Contemplation

Author: Vix

E-mail: PG

Category: Friendship Max and Maria

Summary: just read

Disclaimers: I own nothing.

Spoilers: Nothing I don't think, except the fact that Max and Maria are 'girlfriends'.

Author's Note: This is something floating around in my cranium. There is not exactly a plot or climax or other things needed for an actually story. If you hate it let me know, so I can fix what ever it is I'm doing wrong. Thanks…

There she sat contemplating fate, or destiny, he didn't know. For all of his insight she could be deciding which shoes to wear with her new skirt.

He had stood there and watched her fret over whether or not to go vintage, but this was Maria she fretted over everything.

He had to smile at her. She was so small and seemed fragile, but she was anything but fragile.

Suddenly she looked up at him; the action brought him out of his trance immediately.

"Max, we're going out tonight." Maria said determinedly before getting up and walking towards her closet.

"What?" Max asked confused.

"We're going to see a movie, together. I don't feel like being cooped up in here anymore." Maria stated taking out her new skirt and a white halter-top.

"What are we going to see?" Max asked.

"Lost Souls." Maria said rummaging through the bottom of her closet which contained all of her shoes.

"You want me to call and find the time?" Max asked already grabbing for the phone.

"Yeah, I'm going to go change, and freshen up." Maria said grabbing the clothes she had thrown on the floor and walking into her bathroom.

Max wrote the times down on a piece of paper he had found on her night-stand. Maria soon came out of the bathroom with a short vintage style red mini-skirt and a tight white halter-top.

"I thought we talked about this." Max said standing up and grabbing for his keys, which he had tossed on her desk when he had arrived earlier.

"I know how you feel but I don't feel that way. I like it, and it's cute." Maria said looking down.

"Cute? Maria, most of the guys are going to be drooling at you the entire time," Max saw a glint of mischief in her eye and decided that was a bad point to make "and it's going to be cold."

"I'll live. I swear your like permanently in big brother mode." Maria said with a smile and started to slip on her shoes.

"You and Izzy are just a like." Max said sitting besides her putting on his own shoes.

"Sure we are." Maria said not believing him. "What times are they showing?" Maria asked standing up.

"Well if we go right now we can make the 8:40 one." Max said tying his shoes.

"What time is it?" Maria asked with big eyes.

"8:30, why?" Max asked standing beside her.

"Max, you got here at 1 o'clock. Don't you have to check in with your parents?" Maria asked.

"No, they're gone for the weekend, something about too much stress." Max said grabbing for his jacket and Maria's.

"I could use a vacation." Maria said taking her jacket from him.

"We all could." Max said with a sad smile.

"We ready?" Maria asked walking toward the door.

"Yeah." Max said

Soon they had arrived, and bought two medium popcorns and two large drinks.

"Here you go." Maria said taking a Tabasco bottle out of her purse.

"Thanks." Max said taking it and dumping half of it into his drink, stirring it with his straw, the other half went into his popcorn.

"That's is like so gross." Maria said sipping out of her own drink.

"No, it's not. It taste great, believe it or not." Max said handing the bottle back to her.

"Not." Maria said putting the bottle back into her purse.

"You've never tried it." Max protested.

"Thank the Lord." Maria said making a face at his cup.

"Yeah, yeah, coward." Max said slurping loudly on his straw.

"Coward!" Maria looked outraged.

She grabbed Max's cup and took a huge gulp from it and started gasping for air.

"Ha, I'm no coward." Maria said immediately grabbing for her own drink.

"How did it taste?" Max asked after she had downed half of her coke.

"Like Tabasco and Dr. Pepper." Maria said putting her drink back on the floor.

"Well yeah, I know that." Max said looking for a different answer.

"I think that," Maria said pointing to the cup, "is the reason Michael's brain is fried." Maria said laughing a little.

"Very funny, so was it as bad as you thought it was?" Max asked scooting down in his seat and propping his feet on the chair in front of him.

"No, worse." Maria said doing the same.

"Sure it was." Max said looking over at her.

"OK, so it wasn't that bad." Maria said as the movie began.

Max left it at that; he had won, which was something that didn't happen often with Maria. He had never won an argument with her before.

Suddenly Max became alarmed, something was wrong.

"Maria." Max said trying to get her attention away from the screen.

"Hush, the movie is on." Maria said quietly. A little too quietly for his liking.

He was doing it again he was going into big brother mode once more.

He placed his arm around her comforting her a little. He didn't know what she was thinking but he knew what that guy beside them was. He had been looking at Maria off and on during the previews.

Max gave him a death glare. He seemed to get the hint. He turned around quickly and started to watch the movie.

He didn't know what was wrong with Maria and he knew he wasn't going to find out during the movie. He knew he would have to wait. But he could still play the over protective brother part right now, and from the looks she was getting from the guy to their left he would.

Maria looked up at Max and saw he had gone back to watching the screen. She too returned her eyes to the screen

She had let him win, and she knew he knew it too. After the movie he would want to talk, and he'd want to know why she had let him win.

Truth was she didn't want to tell him. The thing was the drink had tasted familiar, it was sweet and spicy, but it lacked something, something essential.

It lacked the taste of Michael. He had always tasted like something sweet and Tabasco, but then there was this little something extra. That little something extra drove her taste buds crazy.

That wasn't the only thing he drove crazy Maria thought with a smile.

Max looked down at Maria all traces of what ever was bothering her were gone. She was even smiling. Max didn't know what made her upset, or what had changed her mood, but it wasn't important, as long as she was happy. If she was happy he was happy too. It was just the way their friendship worked, and probably always would.

The End


	6. Raining Memories: Michael POV

Title: Raining Memories

Author: Vix

E-mail: PG

Summary: late night thoughts of our poor alien

Disclaimers: I own nothing but the plot and I owe that to my depression about Michael and Maria not kissing yet.

Spoilers: I don't know, but to be safe everything up until Summer of 47.

Category: Michael, Insomnia, and POV

Author's notes: FEED ME

Michael looked at the clock. It was now exactly 2:40 in the morning, and he had insomnia.

His brain was racing at an annoying pace. He tossed a pillow angrily across the room; it hit the wall with a soft thud.

'What's the point of sleeping?' Michael thought restlessly.

He dreamed about her anyway. She had always consumed his waking and sleeping hours.

She consumed his thoughts. Her face, her voice, her eyes, everything was permanently imprinted in his mind.

He couldn't shake the feel of her hands on the back of his neck, the feel of her running her small soft, fingers through his hair soothingly, nor did he want to.

His mind was a battlefield, but ironically no matter what side won, he still lost.

He didn't want to get her involved, but he never wanted to push her away again. She was the first that loved him without a reason.

Max and Isabel had to. They were his only true family, and he was theirs.

She had loved him not because of what he was, but because of whom he was. She wasn't appalled by him, like most would be.

She hadn't been turned away so easily as others would have been.

She hadn't given up so easily; she had refused to quite.

She was more of a warrior then him. She went into battle with blind faith that things would work. She laid herself out in the open, exposed to all, several times only to be shot down.

Yes, her sprit had been broken but only to reform even stronger then before.

She had never surrendered and probably never would.

That was what he admired her for, among many other things.

He admired her for so many things, for the way she was willing to do anything and everything to make her friends happy. For her sprit, for her forgiving nature, at times that is.

He had admired her for her unwillingness to forfeit anything. She was never wrong, that was just her fact of life, even if she knew she was she would never admit it openly.

'We are so alike.' The thought hit him suddenly. It had came to him many times before, but he had never taken into consideration that it held some truth.

They were both beyond stubborn, and they had a reluctance to go silently. They stood up for everything they believed in.

They had an understood loyalty to their friends, or family in a sense.

They had common fears, and common doubts.

They both had their share of bad deals.

They both had a certain passion forever burning in them.

They had an untouchable fire that fueled them.

They shared the same kind of sprit; they were both powerful in one way or another.

They both had violent outbursts, but neither would ever dream of hurting the other.

They never thought they deserved specialties that were so rightfully theirs.

Neither ever ceased to amaze one another.

But no matter how much they were alike, they had certain unmistakable differences.

They weren't even the same species, or at least half of him wasn't her species.

She loved him, and she was scared but she didn't run like him.

He ran out of her life, again.

She wanted him in it and he knew it. It wasn't that he didn't want to be in her life cause he did.

Suddenly there was a loud boom. Michael's eyes went automatically to the window. It was pouring outside.

His mind instantly sought out the memory of a night not so different from this one.

She had been there for him after he had told her not to help him; she had still been there.

She wasn't like Max and Isabel, they would have pried.

That was the reason he was there, in that situation. He knew they meant well, but if they would have left things alone he would have been fine, or at least that's what he told himself. That's why he was there that night.

She didn't ask the questions like they would have. She just took him in, admittedly not right away, but that wasn't Maria's style. She dried him and let him sleep in her bed. She stroked his arms and ran her heavenly fingers through his hair.

That was the one time in his life he wasn't ashamed to cry.

At the beginning when he had reached her window he wasn't scared, he was terrified. Terrified that she would some how turn him away, that she wouldn't want him anymore, and that little thought had affected him more than it should have, in his point of view anyway.

She had told him no, and that only reinforced his fears, but he had no where else to go. So there he stood outside her window, just staring at her.

He could remember the look in her eyes as she took in his appearance. She helped him climb through the window and had left him in front of her dresser to fetch a towel.

She kept rattling about pneumonia or something, he didn't know because he couldn't hear her. His mind was focused on one thing.

'You can't cry.'

It wasn't that he was scared of what she would think cause he knew she would understand, but he didn't want her to have to put up with his emotional crap. He didn't want her to know how fragile he really was at times. Most of all he didn't want her to hurt for him, cause he knew she would.

He was never good at following orders, not even his own. Tears started to stream down his face, against his will.

She had looked surprised, and she had wiped his tears from his cheeks and led him to her bed.

He knew he looked completely out of place lying on her girlie bed, but that really didn't matter.

She had told him, that he didn't have to tell her. He had wanted to for some strange reason, he had wanted to tell her everything, but had restrained him self and let the sobs over take him.

He didn't remember when he had finally drifted off to sleep, but he knew it was before her for sure.

He had woken up to two unusual things. First of all he had woken to a soft hands on his arms and warm puffs of air on his neck.

He had never woken up in such…serenity, but that serenity was soon broken by a newspaper smacking him.

Admittedly he now knew where Maria got her furious strength; he still didn't like being beaten in the morning with the sports section.

A flash of bright light brought him out of his thoughts.

He gazed outside of his window and still the rain poured heavily.

He had a feeling he would always be sleepless without her by his side during the raining nights, but until then just the memories of her beside him would hopefully be enough for him.

The End


	7. Two Way: Maria POV

Title: Two Way

Author: Vix

Email: PG

Category: Maria POV

Summary: read it and find out

Disclaimers: I own nothing, except the pain that fueled this fic.

Spoilers: Nothing really touches down on the new season but just to be safe I'm going to go with everything up until Surprise.

Feed Back: GIMMM GIMME GIMME

Maria trudged into her room quickly tossing her things violently at her desk, half of them missing and falling to the floor. She didn't even bother to turn on the lights.

She threw herself down on her bed not taking off her coat or shoes. She silently reached for the radio as she had done many nights before; the soft sound of Counting Crows filled the air.

She turned over in her bed to stare at the ceiling. She kicked off her platforms and shrugged off her jacket. Next was her shirt then her skirt.

She pressed the repeat button on the stereo and Color Blind started to loop, like always.

'He loves me. He loves me so much; he tore my heart out and did the tango on it. All I want is him. I want to spend the night in his arms molding my body to his; I want to feel his body's warmth wrap me up like a blanket. I want to wake up to him nuzzling my neck. I want to wake him up by kissing on his ears, or neck, or nose even. I want what every girl wants, I want love.'

'No matter what kind of twisted sense of comprehension he claims to have, it is beyond wrong. I don't know how to tell him this but girls don't want little houses and little fences with 2.5 children and a dog. Some might, but when you boil everything down to facts, all girls want are guys that loves them and to love their guys in return.'

'The only thing I can think of doing right now is taking Michael by the face a making his full lips swollen with my own. I want to put my arms around him and whisper sweet nothings into his ears. I want him to do the same, I want him to run his long skilled fingers through my hair and I want him to pull my head into the crook of his neck, and just breathe me in, just take in who I am in a sense. I want to be able to walk up to him in public and look him in the eyes and kiss him. Not because I like attention, which Michael would probably argue with, but because I would be proud to have him be mine, and only mine.'

' I want him to wake me up at three in the morning just to tell me he loves me. Just knowing he couldn't wait till morning to tell me that I am the only one that could ever consume his heart in that way, would make me the happiest I have ever been.'

'I want him to run his fingers over my face, tracing it, while I sleep. I want to be right beside him. Wherever he is. I don't care if he's in Texas or on Mars. I want to be there, I want to be with him'

'I want him to look at me not with a guarded expression but with a trusting one. I want him to love me like I love him, unconditionally.'

'I want him to be possessive and protective, to a certain extent.'

'I want to know that he would die for me, even though I wouldn't let him. It's the thought that counts.'

'These are all wants Michael doesn't think he can fill. He thinks I want great things, and in truth these are great gifts, of priceless value.'

'They are gifts that aren't just given, they are earned. They are even revoked at times. They aren't tangible, but expensive none the less.'

'They are given to those who are worthy, and even sometimes to those who aren't.'

'They give some a sense of meaning, or belonging.'

'For me they give much more, they give me happiness, they give me breath, in short they give me life.'

'They only things I want from Michael are the things he has all ready given me, and the things he some day would.'

'No matter where we live, or roam as the case might be, I would be with him. Whether or not we could have kids, I would be with him. Whether I could get killed, or injured, I would be with him, till the end.'

'In truth the only thing I want from Michael is what he has already claimed to give me, his love. I want him to let me love him back. After all love is a two way street.'

The End


	8. Nightmares and Revelations: Max & Maria

Title: Nightmares and Revelations

Author: Vix

Email: PG

Category: Friendship- Max and Maria

Summary: nightmares and revelations

Spoilers: Season one and the first four episodes of season two (just to be safe)

Disclaimers: I own nothing.

Author Notes: FEED ME!

"NO! Stop, please! NO!" Maria sobbed loudly as tears trailed down her paled cheeks.

Amy shot out of bed in an instant and raced down the hallway only to find Max had beaten her to Maria's room. Maria's door was cracked ever so slightly and Amy could see that her bedroom light was on. She could also see Max hugging Maria to his chest saying something to her and every few seconds he would rub her head soothingly.

Amy stepped up to eavesdrop; something she had been told she had passed on to her daughter.

"Maria, it was just a dream, you're OK. It was only a dream." Max said in Maria's ears as he let her soak his shirt thoroughly with her tears.

"It was so real, Max. I couldn't stop him from jumping. I tried. I did, but he just leapt off." Maria said clinging on to Max like a lifeline. "Why do I keep having the same dream Max? Why?"

"Maria we all have night mares about those close to us dying and it is usually in some way we can't prevent." Max said reassuringly as he started to stroke her back.

Max laid back against her pillows letting her bury her own head into his shoulder.

"He wouldn't let me help, he just refused." Maria said calming down slightly.

"I know. Was it Hank, or Nasedo this time?" Max asked as if they had this conversation their entire life.

"Hank." Maria said with great sadness and unmistakable anger in her voice.

"He's out of Michael's life now, for good. He left town and Michael has his own home. He's safe." Max said lazily tracing circles on her back with his fingers

"I know." Maria said.

"You want me to stay with you?" Max asked looking down at her.

"I think my mom would kill us." Maria said, but not moving. "Last time she found a guy in my bed she beat him, with a news paper."

"Poor Michael." Max said with a small chuckle.

"She didn't let me explain." Maria offered. "She didn't even give him enough time to explain it to me. Not that I would have made him."

"What didn't she let you explain?" Max asked curiously.

"As soon as Michael was out she accused me of having sex with him." Maria said looking up at him.

"Michael and you? I mean I know he's physical, but he knows better than any of us that it's too dangerous." Max said replacing a piece of hair behind her ear.

"I told her that it was he last thing on his mind. Which it was." Maria said reaching for her pillow that she had tossed on the floor during her nightmare.

"What did happen?" Max asked.

"He came over and I refused to let him in, but it was raining so I caved. When he came in; he was soaking, I started to help dry him off and he started to cry." Maria said coming to a quite end.

"He cried in front of you?" Max asked astonished.

"Yeah." Maria said recalling the night perfectly.

"He's never let anyone but me and Isabel see him cry. I've only seen him cry one or two times. I remember when we were younger he would come over in the middle of the night and I could hear him cry. I wouldn't say anything cause I knew he wouldn't want me to, but I listened to him cry himself to sleep most of our childhood here." Max said, "He wouldn't let me see him though."

"I let him stay, and when we woke up my mom was trying to kill him." Maria said.

"That must have been pleasant." Max offered sarcastically. "If you want me to stay with you, I will."

"Would you mind?" Maria asked tentatively.

"Of course not." Max said rolling over to a better position with her in his arms.

The lights flipped off and Amy started to turn around.

"Maria, you know I love you like a sister, right? You know I would never let anyone hurt you. Don't you?" Max asked.

"I love you too." Maria said.

Amy stopped dead in her tracks.

She had thought it was a terrible idea to let Max stay, even if he was supposed to sleep on the couch. She had feared Maria was having sex, and would soon make the same mistakes she had when she was younger.

She had feared the same when she had seen Michael in her baby's bed months before.

She now knew she had nothing to worry about, for now at least.

She had a feeling she could count on Max to keep her baby girl safe.

She still didn't like the idea of them sharing the same bed, but she supposed she would adjust, or chain Max to the couch at night.

Amy smiled at the thought, and chuckled slightly.

Walked towards her room with a relieved smile playing at her lips. She hadn't felt this alleviated since before Maria had figured out that she liked boys.

The End


	9. Led by Faith: Michael and Max

Title: Led by Faith

Author: Vix

Email: PG

Summary: Read it and you won't need one.

Spoilers: After Surprise, I haven't been spoiled at all about the next one. (Except for trailers from  Friendship

Disclaimers: If I owned them Maria would be plotting Courtney's death! (Like I am **LOL**)

Dedication: To those who are tired of Max and Michael fighting so much.

The bell over the front door at the CrashDown jingled as in entered a disturbed Tess.

"Hey Tess." Isabel called to her as she sat down beside her.

"What can I get you?" Maria asked as she came up beside them at the bar.

"A gun would be nice." Tess said through gritted teeth.

"What's wrong?" Isabel asked looking up from her book.

"KYLE! I swear I'll kill him. I doubt anyone will miss him." Tess screeched.

Maria silently thanked God everyone had cleared out except Isabel and the cook in the back cleaning up.

"What did he do?" Isabel asked.

"He threw my underwear around, saying 'my bathroom isn't a substitute for Victoria Secrets' or something, then he stole the remote. " Tess said. "To top it off I spent the entire night begging Kyle to turn off his music. It was blaring through out the entire house." Tess said.

"You know how many time I have had to repeatedly steal Max's 'Counting Crows' CD?" Isabel asked with a small smirk.

"OK, first of all I like that CD. Give it back you've had it for like two weeks and his music isn't half as bad as Michael's is. I mean come on, Metallica?" Maria said.

"Oh really? I had to listen to 'I Need You' by Leeann Rimes, on repeat."

"Oh, I am so sorry." Isabel said that as she placed her hand on Tess' back, even Maria looked genuinely sympathetic.

"Why don't you break the CD?" Maria asked before going to fetch some ice cream from the back.

"I tried. He tied me to the bed and turned the volume up." Tess said as she rubbed her sore wrists.

"Why didn't you use your, 'you knows'." Maria said coming out of the back with chocolate ice cream and two new bottles of Tabasco.

After setting the ice cream and Tabasco in front of the two other girls, she left to get them each a bowl and spoon.

Upon her return Tess answered her question, "I did before he tied me down, but you won't believe what he has." Tess said with bulging eyes.

"A back up." Isabel and Maria said in unison.

"How did you know?" Tess asked confused.

"Michael has three copies of each Metallica CD he has, it's like pathetic." Maria said handing them each a bowl.

"I know. Last time I broke Max's Counting Crows CD and hid the parts so he couldn't put it back together, he just broke out a new one. Now I learn to hide them. Every time he brings out a new one I take that one too. I have like 7 Counting Crow CD's and 4 Vanilla Ice tapes." Isabel said as she began to scoop ice cream into her bowl.

"Vanilla Ice?" Tess asked wide-eyed.

Maria on the other hand couldn't stop laughing.

Michael exited from the back to look at them quizzically.

"What's so funny?" He asked Maria.

Maria instantly stood up ramrod straight.

"Nothing, why, why would you think that something's funny?" Maria said nervously as she busied her self with finding an extra stool to sit across the bar from the other eating females.

Michael looked from Tess to Isabel and to Maria suspiciously before he dropped his gaze to the ice cream.

It was one thing when he thought Pierce and Valenti had joined forces, which had scared him. This, this terrified him to no end. There was no telling what they were planning, against him.

The thought sent an involuntary chill down his spine. He looked back over to the girls. When his eyes hit Maria's angelic face the spoon hit her ample lips.

'Bad timing,' he told himself 'very bad timing.'

He swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry.

"If you want some that bad I'll give you some." Maria offered bringing Michael out of his trance immediately.

"Some what?" Michael asked confused and suddenly scared.

"Ice-cream?" Maria said as her brows creased in confusion as she pronounced each word carefully.

"That's OK, I'm going to get going."

With that Michael turned and walked right out the door on to the sidewalk. He was walking at a very quick pace, so quick he barely noticed the jeep pull up beside him.

"What's the hurry, solider?" Max asked smiling.

"Nothing, oh great leader." Michael growled back harshly.

"Bad timing, very bad timing' thought Max as he put the jeep in park.

"Why don't you get in?" Max said as he starred straight out the windshield.

"I'd rather walk." Michael said gruffly.

"I didn't say we were going to your apartment." Max said casually.

Michael jumped in and looked at Max who didn't even bother to turn his head.

They stopped at the quarry, just the two of them like old times.

"Why are we here Max?" Michael asked as he walked over to the edge.

"We need to talk." Max said walking up beside him.

"Well, talk." Michael said not looking directly at Max.

"We have some… problems." Max said tossing a rock out into the open space in front of them.

"Really? Didn't notice." Michael said sarcastically.

"Michael, we need to fix this. We're going to have to be able to work together. Right now we aren't working together, were fighting against one another, and on top of that we're putting Isabel in the middle. I know you don't want to do that, cause I don't either." Max said grabbing Michael's arm and making him look at him.

"What do you expect me to do? Max, you're our leader and you want to sit here and do nothing. Max, Isabel has killed one of them. I'm betting it's not the last we have to defeat either. You just want to turn the other cheek and go back to your old life. Sorry Max, but it isn't possible. We can't go back, ever. You were the one who wanted to stay here and get our lives back under our control, but now that we have them you're not doing anything to stop them from being taken away again." Michael yelled ripping away from him.

"Michael, what do you expect me to do? I don't know what to do! I know just as much if not less than you!" Max yelled back with great intensity.

"What do you mean, less?" Michael asked turning back in Max's direction.

"Michael, we don't tell each other everything anymore. None of us, I mean Michael, you found evidence of something not of this earth and you kept it from Isabel and me. Isabel kept that geologist guy from us both and I…" Max raged.

"…have been keeping powers from us in return." Michael interrupted.

"Michael, we can't work like that. We use to tell each other everything, what happened?" Max said looking his long time friend in the eye.

"Destiny." Michael said off-handily.

"Destiny? Michael, choices, not chances, determine our destiny." Max said some of his intensity burning away.

"Yeah, well, we don't have a choice." Michael said looking Max in the eye.

"Yes we do," Max turned and picked up a rock chunking it out into space.

"How do we have a choice?" Michael asked confused. "If we get back together with them, and we have to leave, we lose. If we get together with them and they die, we lose. If we don't get together with them, we still lose." Michael said angry.

Max knew he wasn't angry with him but at the way things were going.

"Michael, what if we still can't get home? What if there isn't a home to go to?" Max asked.

"But if there is any chance we have to stay away from them. I couldn't handle losing her." Michael said looking at the sinking sun.

"Would it hurt any less if you were a part?" Max asked.

Michael remained silent, thinking.

"It's getting late. Are we clear on this? I trust you, you trust me?" Max said starting to turn towards the parked jeep.

"Max, if I trust you with her, what makes you think I wouldn't trust you with everything?" Michael had to ask.

"I know it. I wanted you to know I feel the same. You know for future references." Max said as he started the jeep.

"Yeah." Michael said turning to the automobile and jumping in.

Max looked at his best friend in this world, and supposedly in the last. His friend trusted him blindly at times, just as Maria has. Never really questioning his judgment or advice, just believing and having faith in him. They were so much a like and so stubborn.

'If they can trust me, why can't I trust my self?' Max wondered as he turned on the radio and let the music fill the silence of the night. Finally realizing they weren't led by him, they were led by their faith in him.

The End


	10. Close Encounters of the Blond Kind: K&T

Title: Close Encounter of the Blond Kind

Author: Vix

Email: PG

Category: Kyle/Tess

Summary: Read it and see

Disclaimers: I own nothing, but the idea of this plot line and even that I owe to the massive amounts of caffeine I just drank.

Spoilers: They live together so that is… Ask Not

Feed Back: GIMME, GIMME, and GIMME.

Kyle stumbled in through the door, barely coherent enough to know he was in the right house. He wobbled down what he thought was the hall.

He soon came to his door. He opened it and stepped through closing it quickly behind him.

Kyle wasn't sure how but he had lost his boots between the front door and where he was now, or maybe it was from the car to the door. Who knew? He slipped out of his wranglers. His shirt joined it on the floor after he had quite a battle. A little satisfied smirk played on his face as he looked down at the remains of his favorite shirt, in victory.

Soon he was under the covers in his bed. Little did he know, so was someone else.

Tess aroused to warm arms firmly wrapped around her waist. Beckoning her back to deep slumber. She buried her head deep into the chest of the person sleeping next to her.

Suddenly it hit her that she was supposed to be asleep in this bed, alone. She opened her eyes up abruptly.

As if in response, Kyle hugged her closer.

Tess started to wiggle her body out of his arms forcefully and Kyle just pulled her back to his chest.

Tess looked at him and gently unwrapped his arms, his facials expression clearly showed he didn't want to let her go, but he wasn't trying to grab her which was a good sign.

She pressed her back against the wall and her feet against his chest.

All of a sudden there was a loud thump and Kyle Valenti hit the floor. Tess started to ask questions, but Kyle heard none of them from the pain in his head from both last night and the impact was insufferable. To top it all off his back was definitely going to develop one nasty bruise where his Nikes 'broke' his fall.

Tess stopped when she saw him grab his head and squint his eyes. His jaw muscles were jumping erratically. Tess didn't know what was going on with him, but what ever it was it seemed extremely painful.

"Are you OK?" She asked as she knelt down on the floor besides him.

There was no response; she gently touched his head and suddenly the pain was gone.

"What did you do?" Kyle asked as the agonizing throbbing stopped.

"Sorry, if you want it back…" She trailed off as she brought her hand closer to his head.

He jerked his head away from her nearing hand, "That's OK, I can live without it."

"What were you doing in the bed?" Tess asked.

"Sleeping." Kyle offered.

"Why were you in the bed? And what was with the headache?" Tess asked.

Kyle began to get up and once fully erected he felt the total pain of his earlier mishap.

"It wasn't a headache, it was a hangover, and I was drunk last night I probably forgot you were supposed to sleep in here." Kyle said as he offered her a hand.

"I thought Buddhism was all against drinking." Tess said confused as Kyle helped her off the cold floor.

"I was out with friends, and I just happened to drink some spiked punch." Kyle said defensively.

"What ever you say Buddha Boy." Tess said and looked down at her clothes. She had forgotten that she was only wearing a baby tee shirt and underwear.

She quickly jumped back on the bed and wrapped the covers around herself.

"One question, why did you kick me on the floor?" Kyle asked as he rubbed his back turning away from her and walking towards the closet.

In return it made his back muscles flex, and Tess eyes went wide.

He soon slipped an old jersey on and turned around to look at her.

"So why'd you do it?" Kyle asked again.

"Toss me one, please." Tess said pointing beyond him into his closet where most of his close had been removed, but he left his jerseys.

Kyle turned back around and looked into the closet and plucked the first jersey he saw off of its hanger.

He threw it to her, and she made a little swirling motion with her finger pointing down in the air, signaling for him to turn so that she could change.

He obeyed.

"All right." She called.

He turned around and there laid Tess on top of the mess of covers.

"So, do you mind answering me now?" Kyle asked as he went across the room and hesitantly set on the edge of the bed.

"Well when I woke up you were a little to close for comfort." Tess lied.

"So? You couldn't have been a normal person and nudged me?" Kyle asked in disbelief.

"I would have, but your arms were trapping me to the wall. I tired to get out but you kept dragging me back so I decided a quick trip to the floor might help my chances of waking you." Tess said and she began to laugh again.

"What, you find my pain funny?" Kyle asked in bewilderment.

"No, I found that and the look on your face when you made contact with the ground funny." Tess clarified for him.

Kyle looked over at Tess when she started to laugh again even more loudly.

"Hush, it's only…" He looked over at his alarm clock "3:30 in the morning." He then looked at where she was looking.

He cursed quietly. "That was my favorite shirt."

This made Tess laugh even harder. "Must have put up quiet a fight." Tess managed to say in between gasps for air.

"Yeah, yeah, what ever." Kyle said as he stole a pillow from the top of the bed and laid his feet by Tess' head.

"What do you think you're doing?" She asked.

"I got in around 1:45 this morning. It's only 3:30… I'm going back to bed." Kyle said as he closed his eyes.

"Kyle…" Tess said and he opened his eyes only to be attacked with the one remaining pillow.

Soon they were both out of breath and Kyle had manage to steal both pillows from her, and have her pinned successfully against the corner of the wall where it met the bed.

"I'm sleeping in here." Tess said firmly.

"Fine, no one's stopping you." Kyle said as he retrieved the pillows from the floor. He tossed her one, and she expected him to go into the living room, but instead he laid down beside her.

"Again Kyle, what do you think you're doing?" Tess asked.

"Trying to sleep." Kyle mumbled.

"Not in here you're not." Tess said with conviction.

Kyle's eyes once again popped open. He looked over at the blonde girl who was in the same position as he had left her before retrieving the pillows. "Tess, I'm tired and my back is going to have a size 11 bruise on it. I just want to go to bed. I know you don't want me to sleep in here, but it's just for tonight, and nothing is stopping you from leaving." Kyle said as he began to pull the covers up from he floors.

Tess took the covers from him when he offered her the edge of them.

"Kyle?" Tess called as she turned to face him.

"Yeah?" Kyle called not opening his eyes.

"You do know I can kill you in your sleep, right?" Tess said as she opened her eyes slightly so they still appeared closed.

Instantly Kyle's eyes busted open. It took all of Tess strength not to move, or laugh.

She was soon asleep.

Kyle just starred at her thinking to himself, 'She couldn't do that.'

Kyle rolled over to lay on his back as another thought occurred to him 'Could she?'

So there laid Kyle, wide-awake pondering over his close encounter… of the blond kind.

The End


	11. Lying: Kyle POV

Title: Lying

Author: Vix

Email: Kyle POV

Rating: PG

Summary: Kyle's thoughts after EOTW.

Disclaimers: I own nothing and never will.

Spoilers: Everything ever played. Just makes it easier. (End of The World)

Author's note: This really sucks, but if by some grace of the gods you actually like it please feel free to feed me!

I lied.

I did get flashes from Max. They had scared me at first. It had felt like an intrusion of my mind.

It had felt… alien.

She had asked me when we were in bed together whether or not I had seen anything from Max when he saved my life a few months back, and I had lied. I did it to protect her.

She said that she needed to get rid of Max and I had a feeling that if I had told her what I saw she wouldn't be able to go through with it.

I saw things from him that surprised me.

I felt what he felt towards her. What he felt went beyond love. He cherished every little thing about her. He loved her hair, her eyes, and the curve of her lips. He loved her whole.

I even felt the pain he had when she was shot. I saw her fall to the ground and I felt pure terror rip through my body. That is something I never want to be put through again.

That alone was probably the most painful thing I have ever experienced, or maybe it's the most painful experience of Max's life instead. I'm not sure.

I lied to her and usually about now a sense of guilt would wash over me, but the guilt has been embedded in my mind since I saw Max's face.

He wasn't angry like most would be. He was heartbroken. Why wouldn't he be?

He looked more than betrayed though he looked destroyed.

I couldn't imagine what it must have felt like, but if I ever get shot again I have a feeling I'll get to feel that pain too.

It was best I lied to her. Wasn't it?

I guess only time will tell, but until everything is done and said I will carry this guilt with me.

But I can handle it.

After all I lied to Liz; I can lie to myself, for a while.

The End


	12. Taking Care of Business: Everyone

Title: Taking Care of Business

Author: Vix

Email: PG

Summary: What should have happened after Wipe Out

Spoilers: All up till and including Wipe Out

Disclaimers: If I owned Roswell I wouldn't have to write fan fiction to correct their mistakes.

Category: M/L-M/M-T/K-A/I

Liz looked over at Max and then back at Kyle. She had no idea how she was going to do this.

"I'm going to start at the beginning." She said to the two boys sitting in her room for a supposed 'study group.'

"Max, I didn't sleep with Kyle, ever." Liz said looking Max straight in the eye.

"Why was he in your bed Liz?" Max asked looking back over at Kyle who sat on Liz's bed.

"I don't even know that one." Kyle said looking up at Liz expectantly.

"Tess would have left if you and I were together. I had to find a way to get you to fall out of love with me." Liz said walking around her room clasping and unclasping her hands.

"You did this so me and Tess would be together?" Max asked shocked.

"Max, you have a unit. There are four of you and with out all of your strengths you're as good as dead." Liz said trying to explain what the future Max had told her.

"I knew it wasn't true, but couldn't you have talked to me?" Max asked standing up and walking towards Liz.

"I told you he'd know, he's Max. He always knows." Kyle said standing up and walking towards both of them.

"I'm going to let my self out." He said looking at Liz and she smiled.

He turned to Max, he knew Max still trusted him at least a little. He had let him take Liz and Maria, which proved he trusted him a lot more than he let on.

Max looked him in the eye and nodded. Kyle knew he didn't completely trust him, yet, but eventually he would.

Kyle smiled and walked out of the room and down to the Crashdown below.

"Max…" Liz, said but that was all she said cause as soon as Kyle was gone Max started to kiss her.

He put everything he felt into that kiss. He put his passion, his love; he put everything he had ever felt towards her into it. Knowing they both needed it.

"I'm sorry." Liz said as they pulled away. "I should have talked to you about it, but I really had no choice. I'm sorry I hurt you." Liz said softly looking up into Max's eyes.

"Well considering you had to go to that big of an extreme I'm guessing it was necessary." Max said holding her close; letting her heart beat against his. God he loved that feeling of…oneness.

"Liz, would you ever marry me?" Max asked looking back down at her.

"Yes, but never let me convince you to marry me at 19, OK?" Liz asked with a straight face. "19, is just way to young."

"19? You know Romeo and Juliet were even younger than that." Max said suddenly remembering the 'speech' she had given him right before he had found her and Kyle together.

"I didn't mean it Max. I didn't mean a word of it. I would die for you without a second thought. I would be by your side no matter what. You mean everything to me." Liz said kissing him again not giving him a chance to respond.

Maria knocked cautiously. Not knowing what to expect. She had told Liz and Kyle that when it was all over that she planned to talk to her mother more, and write to her grandmother more, but what she hadn't told them is what she planned to tell Michael. It was over and they were still standing. That's why she was there. She had a lot of things to tend to, and this was one very high up on the list.

Michael stuck his head out of the door. He looked down at her; she had changed out of her crashdown outfit. She was wearing hip huggers and a very small top.

"Come in." Michael choked out refocusing his eyes on her face. It didn't help his concentration any.

"Michael, let me get to the point, and no interrupting. Can you handle that?" She asked sarcastically like all ways. She didn't even know why she was being sarcastic any more. She had almost disappeared and from what Isabel had told them, he too had almost died.

"I'm sorry." She said and walked over to the couch where he had repositioned himself.

She straddled his lap making sure he couldn't go anywhere.

"Michael, if anything would have happened to you I…I don't know what I would have done." Maria said her eyes filling up with tears.

"Nothing happened." Michael said wiping a few tears from her cheeks. "I told you I'd see you later."

"Michael," Maria said gaining her composure. "I love you." She said staring right into his eyes making sure he understood her.

His eyes were fixed on hers, not knowing what to do. He was never good at this stuff. She deserved someone who could tell her that he loved her all the time, not just when their lives were in danger.

"It's OK, you don't have to tell me. I know." She said softly with a smile.

He looked into her eyes not believing her, but he was surprised to find that she had no trace of disappointment in her emerald cat eyes.

"I love you, Maria." He said loud enough for her to hear.

He knew she didn't mind that he didn't say it as long as he felt it, but he wanted to say it. He wanted to be the guy that she deserved. He wanted her to not lack anything that he could give her. He wanted her to be happy and if saying it made her happy then he would say it. No matter what he would be there for her, forever whether she wanted him there or not. Yeah, maybe he was an alien and maybe they weren't supposed to be together, but if they were going to be together he was going to try and be the best alien he could be-for her.

"Come here space boy." Maria smiled grabbing his collar and bringing his mouth to hers. She had missed the taste and feel of him.

If he was going to try so was she. If he would change for her then she would definitely change for him because no matter what went on in Michael Guerrin's head she would always love him, no matter what.

Michael twisted his body around and laid back on the couch.

Smothering her with soft sweet kisses. The kind of kiss they had shared sometimes. Those tended to be few and far a part. She loved how his lips felt gently pressing against hers. She could never give him up, even if he wanted her to.

Kyle walked into his room and fell face first onto his bed. Letting out a low groan. Tess walked down the hall to find what she had already expected to be there.

"Nice to see you're still alive." Tess said walking over to the bed and shoving him over so she too could sit on the bed.

"Yeah, you too. So did you four do that or did Maria?" Kyle asked turning around to find Tess clothed in one of his old jerseys, and had a distraught look on her face.

"Are you OK?" He asked her sitting up beside her.

"I killed them. I killed them all." She said her voice wavering.

He instinctually grabbed her for a hug. He didn't know what to say, what to do, Buddha never really covered this.

"I'm sorry." He said holding her a little tighter. "You did what you had to do."

"I didn't mean to though. I just meant to send them a mind warp." She said weakly.

He looked down at her still form, "You're alive, we all are. That's all that matters. If you wouldn't have killed them then they would have killed you, and to tell you the truth, I'm really glad you killed them first." He said stroking her hair.

Tess looked up at him with sparkling eyes, and he smiled down at her tucking a piece of loose hair behind her ear.

"Besides, I even got to kick some ass." Kyle said.

"How does Buddha feel about that?" Tess asked sitting up and leaning against the wall.

"I asked for forgiveness." Kyle said with a smirk.

Tess gave him the strangest look she could muster before bursting into laughter.

"What?" He asked innocently.

"Only you Kyle, only you." Tess said straightening back up.

An awkward silence filled the room and neither knew what to say so Kyle let the first thought that popped into his head come out of his mouth, "So did you hear Liz and Max are back together again?"

"Figures! He'd take her back after anything. I mean come on, she slept with you and he still forgave her. She caused him so much pain and everything's fine. It's just typical!" She said loudly.

"Well actually she explained everything to us, and he did forgive her because we didn't sleep together." He said looking over at her.

"Oh." Tess said.

"You look very good when you're upset." He said still staring at her. "In order to trim the lamp of knowledge…" Kyle began.

"Yeah, yeah Buddha boy." Tess said as she leaned in and met his lips in a kiss.

Isabel stood nervously on Alex's porch. She had already rang the doorbell twice. What could be taking him so long?

Suddenly the door opened and Alex Whitman stuck his head out tentatively. He was quite surprised to find Isabel Evans on his doorstep.

"Isabel!" He called happily.

She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck startling him. She squeezed him tightly and he finally hugged her back after he regained his composure, which, for him was a very hard thing to do around Isabel.

She released her death grip she had on him and leaned back to look at him. She couldn't stop herself from what she did next.

Alex didn't know what to think. First she was hugging him then she was kissing him. What was he supposed to do? It didn't take him very long to start kissing her back.

Eventually they had to pull back, to breathe. They untangled themselves from each other.

"So…" Alex said not sure what to do next.

"So…" Isabel had planned to hug him and beg for forgiveness for how she had been treating him, but he obviously hadn't noticed.

"We burned a new CD…" Alex said in an attempt to make conversation.

"I know." Isabel said remembering what had finally made her see how important Alex actually as to her.

"You want to come in and listen to it?" He asked looking at her tenderly.

She loved how he looked at her. His eyes were so loving, so compassionate.

She leaned into him and kissed him softly, "Yeah, I'd love to."

He smiled his goofy grin of his and wrapped one arm around her and started to walk back into his house.

The End


	13. Family Traits: Michael, Maria, Amy

Title: Family Traits

Author: Vix

Email: weird- another one of my bonding fics

Rating: Pg-13

Spoilers: Departure

Summary: Amy and Maria bond over ice cream.

Disclaimers: I don't own Michael or Maria or Amy and I don't even own the rocky road ice cream! You happy now?

Distribution: if you use it anywhere else just let me know plzzz! And you hafta keep my heading.

"Michael, honey, if you **don't** do what I say you will be severally punished. Understand?" Maria asked into the telephone with a tight smile, which looked more like an angry grimace.

"Good boy. Bye-bye now." Maria smiled as she hung up the phone and placed it on its charger.

"He bows to your whim that quickly?" Amy asked her daughter as she walked through the kitchen entrance with a tub of ice cream in her hand.

"Wha'cha got there?" Maria asked eyeing the delicious looking ice cream.

"Rocky road." Her mother said setting it down on the table.

"Care to join me?" Amy asked as she watched her daughter run for two giant spoons.

Amy ripped off the top of the ice cream and sat down at the table taking the spoon from her daughter and digging in.

After a few moments of silence Maria tried to strike up a conversation, "So how was your date last night with the…um… Jim?"

"It was fine. How was your adventure with Michael last night?" Amy asked.

"Fine." Maria said in a monosyllabic manner.

"So what are you and Michael up to now a days you two seem inseparable?" Amy asked taking another bite of the ice cream in front of her.

"Were not really up to anything tell you the truth. He just finished his shift at the CrashDown. He's going to go work on his motorcycle. Which means I'm suppose to be stuck here all day by my self." Maria grumbled before dipping her spoon back into the ice cream.

"What do you mean suppose to be here all day?" Amy asked eyeing her daughter.

"I made him promise to come pick me up so I could hang out at the garage with him." Maria explained a smile on her face.

"So does he make a lot of promises?" Amy asked cautiously.

"Only ones he can keep." Maria said getting defensive.

"Maria I like Michael, you know I do but I just don't want you to have to learn by your mistakes that's all." Amy said trying to explain her self better.

"What mistake would that be?" Maria asked as she looked down at the tub of ice cream.

"You said it your self once. Once they get what they want they leave." Amy said trying to make eye contact, but Maria wouldn't take her eyes off the food in front of her.

"He's not like that." Maria said meeting her mother's eyes.

"How do you know?" Amy asked her real reason of her steering the conversation in this manner showing.

"This isn't about him leaving me or hurting me is it?" Maria asked a small bitter smile crossing her face, "This is about whether or not I'm having sex."

"Maria you're too young to take such chances." Amy said suspiciously.

"I know mom. Believe me I know." Maria said a picture of Tess flashing through her mind.

"So, how is Jim taking Tess' departure." Maria asked hoping to get her mother's mind off of her relationship with Michael.

"He's sad I mean what do you expect the girl lived there for so long she was family? But I think he's happy that she's you know with her real parents now. I'm happy she found them. Most people have to search for over thirty years some times." Amy said her mind leaving the previous conversation for another time.

"Yeah and some times people decided that what they have now is better than what they could have with their real family and their real home." Maria said quickly.

"Yes I do suppose so…" Before Amy could finish her sentence there was a knock on the door.

"Maria DeLuca you better be ready!" Michael called through the entrance as he let himself inside.

Maria had a look of panic on her face as she looked down at her pajamas she had yet to change out of today. She quickly jumped up and made tracks. She closed her bedroom door as Michael reached the hallway.

"Hello Michael." Amy said from the kitchen table where she was watching the tall young boy glare at her daughter's bedroom.

"Hey Miss DeLuca." Michael said as he turned to greet her.

"Want some?" She asked gesturing to the ice cream that was still sitting out.

"Don't mind if I do." He said as he walked over to the refrigerator to remove a bottle of Tabasco sauce.

"I still don't get the Tabasco." Amy said shaking her head as the boy sat down across from her and took Maria's spoon.

"Can you believe she asked me to come get her and she's not even ready?" He asked digging into he food.

"There are two things I can't believe. One is that you actually expected her to be ready and two is that you bow to her every whim." Amy said taking a bit of the rocky road.

"You're right I should have expected this. But I don't 'bow' to her every whim. I just do as she asks because she'll kill me if I don't." He explained looking over at Amy.

"She's not that bad." Amy said waving her hand in dismissal.

"We call her Hurricane DeLuca." He said grinning.

"That's not too bad besides I used to be…" Amy again was interrupted but this time by her daughter running out of her bed room dressed in an old pair of blue Jean shorts and a red tank.

"Ready!" Maria said wrapping her arms around her boy friend's shoulders and then her mom's, "I'll be back later unless I stay at Liz's."

"That's only if she stays away from Max long enough to sleep though." Maria said before walking over to the door.

"What were you saying?" Michael asked as he walked towards the door with his girlfriend.

"It's not too bad, that nick name. I use to be Whirl Wind." Amy said giving Michael a pointed look.

Michael gulped. He didn't know what he was going to do with these two DeLuca women but he knew one thing he wasn't going to do -piss them off.

With that Maria was dragging him out the door.

The End


	14. Eavesdropping Benefits: Michael, Maria

Title: Eavesdropping Benefits

Author: Vix

Email: M&M/ funny/foof/romance

Ratings: PG-13

Summary: 0) g I'm not telling

Disclaimers: I own nothing

Spoilers: Everything up to and including End of the World

Author's note: You all asked for a sequel to The Benefits of Eavesdropping, well here is it's counter part instead. Enjoy and as always-FEED ME! I'm running out of caffeine other than that, you're feed is the only thing that keeps me writing (If you don't

include my need for Michael and Maria to be together and for Courtney to die)

"Max, are you OK?" Maria asked looking up at him from the corner of his bed.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Max said eyes still glazed over.

"Sure, and I'm an alien." Maria said scooting up closer to him.

"I will be, eventually." Max said.

"Max…" She was cut off by a knock at the window.

Maria looked from the closed curtain to Max. Max nodded his head towards the hall.

She walked out of the room and shut the door. She leaned against it enough so she could hear what was going on inside.

Max turned off his CD player so Maria could hear what was going on. He walked across his room and opened the window.

Michael crawled through the window and stormed across Max's bedroom angrily.

"Where'd you get the bruise?" Max asked as he went back to his bed.

"Alex." Michael grumbled as he began to pace.

"Alex hit you?" Max choked out between laughs.

"Shut up!" Michael said not finding this one bit amusing.

'Serves you right!' Maria thought trying to hide her laughter.

"Why'd he hit you?" Max asked gaining a little control over him self.

"Cause Maria thinks I cheated on her." Michael said still deep in pacing.

"You did cheat on her." Max said all traces of his laughter gone.

"No I didn't!" Michael said stopping his feet right in front of Max's bed.

"You kissed Courtney and kissing is cheating therefore you cheated on her, and the whole towel thing." Max said

"I didn't kiss her! She kissed me. I didn't even move my lips for crying out loud." Michael said sitting on the edge of Max's bed.

Maria's mouth dropped to the floor. How dare he deny it! She saw her in a towel!

"Why did you let her kiss you?" Max asked trying to get all sides of the story.

"Because I was trying to find out if she was government or a skin." Michael said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"And you thought kissing her would explain everything?" Max asked.

"No, I was searching her place to find out what she was doing here in Roswell." Michael explained.

"So you searched her house while she kissed you?" Max asked only further irritating his friend.

"I drove her home so I would know where she lived so I could find it later so I could snoop. She invited me in, and I went inside. She kissed me and I told her I was germ-a-phobic and that a clean girl is a sexy girl. That's why she was in a towel!" Michael said standing back up and starting to pace again.

"What happened? What'd you find?" Max asked interested.

'Germ-a-phobic? Yeah right. I wouldn't even fall for that one!' Maria stifled her laughter.

"She's a skin." Michael said sullenly.

Both Max and Maria stopped breathing.

' I knew it! I knew that slut just screamed 'I'm a freak!' Maria thought angrily.

"What happened?" Max asked as he sat up and swung his feet to the ground.

"I left when Maria showed up. And later right before Alex punched me she showed up. When I discovered she was a skin she ran off and I blew up my TV trying to use my powers on her." Michael said lying back on the bed.

"Michael it was dangerous for you to go to her place alone! Why didn't you tell us? Why'd you go there alone?" Max asked standing up and leaning against his dresser.

"I don't know! I just thought that if I could find out then I could protect her…" Michael trailed off.

"Who?" Max asked.

"Maria. If I knew what was up with Courtney I could keep Maria away from her, so she couldn't hurt her." Michael said sitting up.

"You're willing to die for her?" Max asked his voice not quiet steady.

"Yeah. I am." Michael said running a hand through his hair.

Maria's eyes misted over and she searched for her keys.

She ran quietly down stairs and out the front door.

Michael walked tiredly down the hall. It had been one hell of a week. He pulled out his keys and unlocked the door. As soon as he was inside he went straight for his bed. He laid down and suddenly something jumped on him.

He tried to scream but found it difficult considering someone's tongue was in his mouth.

He'd know that taste anywhere. Maria's tongue was tracing his mouth inside and out running it over his teeth and caressing his own lovingly.

He started to kiss back. He grabbed for her. His arms wrapped around her small waist bring them closer together, one of them trailing up into her hair running his skilled finger through it. All the while his tongue fought with hers in a never-ending battle.

He loved the feel of her in his arms. He loved the feel of her period.

She was all around him, the sweet smell of her perfume was intoxicating, but better was the smell of her hair. It smelled of apples and of just Maria. He loved her scent.

Her soft hands were everywhere. They were behind his neck trying to bring his mouth closer. He rolled over and pinned her underneath him.

One of her hands traveled up into his own hair twisting it around her fingers and running her hands through it to just feel the texture.

Her hands traveled down to his shoulders and to the nape of his neck playing seductively with the hair that rested there.

He moaned into her mouth and she started down his jawbone, her lips brushing very lightly to the place where his bruise was and continued down to the hollow of his neck.

She could feel his neck vibrate as he whispered her name gently letting it rest out in the open.

"Did you really blow up your TV for me?" She asked looking up at him in the dark.

Michael rolled his eyes with a soft laugh and started to assault her lips once more.

The End


End file.
